Deeper Magic
by elf3
Summary: Tai is an orphan who recieves her letter from Hogwarts at the age of 15. When she reaches Hogwarts she finds out some terrible truths and then the world suddenly turns on its head. Involves Snape and Voldemort. plz R/R.
1. Chapter 1

Deeper Magic  
  
Tai Yang stared at the tombstone, face expressionless. It read:  
  
1 Hual Yang  
  
2 Mother of Tai Yang  
  
Disappeared…  
  
Tai turned away. She couldn't look at it any longer. Couldn't read the words. She didn't remember her mother. She had disappeared when Tai was only a baby and presumed dead. She hadn't even known who her father was. Her mother hadn't told anyone. Her mother had no relatives to speak of either. Her mother had left her stranded. Alone.  
  
Tai suddenly got up and kicked savagely at the tombstone. She ignored the throbbing pain in her toes.  
  
How could you do this to me? You were y mother! How could you leave me? She thought angrily. She gave the tombstone one last dejected kick then crumpled into a sobbing heap on the ground. Stop it! She told herself. Stop crying! She wiped at her tears angrily and stood up. She trudged across the graveyard and out the gate.  
  
She looked at the ugly red brick building across the road and sighed wearily. The orphanage. It was a strange and depressing place for an orphanage, across the road from a graveyard. But it was strangely fitting. Orphanages were depressing anyway. The graveyard just added a little extra morbidity. Most girls in the orphanages had been in the same one since their parents died but Tai had been to plenty. She had got along with the girls alright, but the teachers and carers or whatever they wanted to call themselves always thought she was strange and never felt comfortable with her. She'd been to a foster home before but they had just put her in an orphanage again, describing her as an enigma, which was just their polite way of saying she was strange. They just didn't understand her.  
  
Tai had reached the old, wooden doors of the orphanage and leaned up against them, ear hard up against the wood. She strained to hear if anyone was inside. She put her hands on the door as well and strained harder. She closed her eyes and didn't notice the green aura surround her hands. Suddenly the voices on the other side of the door became clear. Damn! She pulled away from the door. There was someone in the entrance hall. She was of the mind to sneak back into bed before the sun rose fully, But either someone woke up early and noticed she was gone or they were being a busy body!  
  
She crept around the side of the building to find an open window that wasn't too high up. She found one and scaled the drainpipe. She was reaching for the when a huge barn owl dropped a letter in her face and she lost her grip and fell the short distance to the ground. The fall winded her and she lay there for a second gasping for air. When she finally caught her breath she noticed a head poking out of the window. She groaned.  
  
"Go away Rosie or you'll get in trouble for being out of bed too." The girl looked like she was about to argue then she shook her head and disappeared back inside.  
  
Tai sat up and winced with pain. She clutched her side and looking down, she noticed the letter lying in the dirt. It was a thick parchment envelope with curling green writing. It read:  
  
3 To Miss Tai Yang  
  
3.1 Dormitory No. 6…  
  
Dormitory number six? Who would know her dorm number besides the girls in the orphanage? And they wouldn't write a letter to her. She looked on the back. It said Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. 


	2. Chapter 2

Tai stared out the window of the Hogwarts Express. There were a few other people in her compartment but they were chatting among themselves and she didn't feel like making an effort to talk to them. She would have usually but for the effort it had taken her to get into this school. The memory made her cringe. She had had a huge row with Mrs James, that had shook the foundations of the building. It had just been a shouting match, with Mrs James shouting that magic didn't exist and that the letter was just a prank and Tai shouting back that she didn't care and she was going anyway.  
  
And then there was the issue of getting her school stuff. A ministry witch had come by and asked if it was a convenient time to take Tai to Diagon Alley. Fortunately, she was used to dealing with people with difficult parents or guardians so she had calmly listened to Mrs James and then asked what Tai wanted to do. Of course she wasn't the one that got shouted at after she came home.  
  
Tai sighed. After all that trouble she had expected a little more than an old fashioned steam engine. She had expected some wild display of magic. But she realised now that that had been a foolish notion. She was suddenly distracted by the compartment door opening. A plump witch was wheeling a trolley of strange looking food.  
  
"Would you like anything from the trolley, dears?" She said cheerfully. Tai's stomach rumbled. She hadn't packed lunch but she didn't have much wizard gold either. That was another thing her mother had left her without. Money. And most of it had been stolen by the orphanages as 'funds'. She turned back to the window while the other people in the compartment bought stuff. They had parents with loads of money of course.  
  
"Excuse me?" Tai looked up warily at the girl. She had a tangled mass of hair that made her look so much like one of those cartoon witches she nearly laughed.  
  
"Yes?" Tai said politely as she could. Trying not to sound guarded. But years in an orphanage gave her voice a harsh edge. The girl looked a little perturbed.  
  
"I'm Hermione Granger." She said boisterously. Tai decided she was annoying. She wished people wouldn't probe like that.  
  
"I'm Tai Yang." Tai said simply, in a voice that said 'I don't want to talk to you.' But the girl charged on.  
  
"What school did you go to before you came here?" Hermione asked.  
  
"I'm from an orphanage." Tai said a little bitterly. Hermione sat down next to her with a shocked expression.  
  
"You mean you haven't been to a wizarding school before?"  
  
"No. What's so strange about that?"  
  
"Wizards and witches magic is always discovered by the time they're eleven. I read it in Hogwarts: A History." She said in a know-it-all voice.  
  
"Well I wasn't. Life isn't as orderly as the textbook says it is." Tai sneered. The girl got all huffy and walked over to her friends. She talked quietly to them – about her probably – for a while and Tai watched as the red head boys face slowly turned as red as his hair. He stalked over to her.  
  
"You shouldn't be so nasty you know." He said testily. "You'll be put in Slytherin if you don't watch yourself. I'll bet you –" He was cut short by the other boy.  
  
"Ron. Leave her alone it's not important. She's just being mean for the sake of it. She's trying to stir us up." He looked at her meaningfully, as if to say 'aren't you.' She stood up.  
  
"No I'm not." She said, dangerously quiet. "I've had a really rough couple of days thanks! You probably don't know what it feels like living in a muggle orphanage. You probably have loving parents who listen to you. Mrs James already thought I was strange and when I got my letter she moved on to thinking I was a freak!" Now she was shouting. "I had to fight my way into this school. So excuse me if I've got a bit of a bad temper at the moment!" Everyone in the room was shocked into silence. Tai sat down and stared out the window. She shouldn't have shouted at them but she just needed an outlet for her frustration and they just happened to be there. She turned her head more so they couldn't see the tears running down her face. She heard one of them sit in the seat next to her. She resented it. Couldn't they get it through there thick skulls? She just wanted to be left alone.  
  
"My parents are dead too." She looked at him surprised, then immediately regretted that he'd seen her tears. She wiped them away quickly. "I live with my aunt and uncle and cousin. They're all muggles. They tried to stop me coming to Hogwarts too. In fact they never actually told me I was a wizard."  
  
"Really? I bet they weren't as bad as living in an orphanage though." She said sourly.  
  
"Um… I don't know they were pretty bad." Tai chuckled. "I'm Harry Potter."  
  
"Hi." Tai felt a lot better now. She felt like she wasn't the only one in this school who new how she felt.  
  
"Do you want something to eat?" He asked, changing the subject.  
  
"I am a bit hungry but I shouldn't eat your food."  
  
"I bought too much anyway." He walked over to the other side of the compartment and picked up some of the food he had bought off the trolley lady. Tai chanced a glance at Hermione and Ron was it? As she suspected, they were both looking disapprovingly at her and Ron looked as if he were about to boil over. Tai smiled weakly at them and their frowns deepened. She looked at her feet. She supposed she should apologise. No. She hadn't really been entirely in the wrong. She'd let them simmer.  
  
Harry came back carrying some sweets and drinks.  
  
The rest of the train trip passed reasonably comfortably. Ron and Hermione eventually warmed up to her a little and stopped glaring at her.  
  
Finally the train pulled to a halt.  
  
"This is our stop." said Harry cheerfully. They all pushed their way into the packed corridor and filed out the doors. A huge man in a shaggy cloak was calling for first years.  
  
"Is he a giant?" asked Tai, a little awe creeping into her voice.  
  
"Well he's half giant. His name's Hagrid. He's the games keeper." said Ron. Tai watched as the first years all walked nervously over to the man.  
  
"Come on." Hermione said impatiently. Tai followed them onto the horseless carriage.  
  
When they arrived in the hall, there was a little confusion as to what to do with Tai but eventually Dumbledore solved the problem by summoning her to the teachers' table. Tai walked nervously over. Dumbledore smiled cheerfully at her.  
  
"Good evening, Miss Yang." Tai nodded, not trusting her voice. She felt her hands shaking and hid them behind her back. "As a tradition in Hogwarts all new students are sorted into there houses by the sorting hat." He indicated a hat that had been placed on a stool while Tai wasn't watching. He told her to go and stand with the first years.  
  
Tai watched nervously as the sorting hat recited a long poem about the houses. Harry, Ron and Hermione had warned her about the hat but a talking hat was still a bit strange. A severe looking witch stepped up after the hat had finished.  
  
"When I call your name please sit on the stool and place the hat on your head." She said. "I will start with the fifth year girl. Tai Yang." Tai walked over nervously, wondering what the hat would do. She sat unceremoniously on the stool and let the hat slip over her eyes.  
  
'Hmmm.' The small voice in her head surprised her. 'Oh dear. This will be a difficult choice. Such an unusual personality. I think I would be more inclined to put you in Ravenclaw… Oh dear.' That didn't sound good.  
  
'What's wrong?' Thought Tai.  
  
'What's wrong is that you're not a witch.' Tai's breath quickened.  
  
'WHAT? But when I got my wand it worked! And my letter! I got my letter from Hogwarts! I have to have magic powers! I hope I do anyway.'  
  
'Oh you definitely have magical powers.' Tai's worries were only slightly relieved. 'You just have a different magic, that I've never encountered before.'  
  
'Different? Why am I always different. Why can't I be just like everyone else. Being different is so hard.'  
  
'You'd better take me off and let me talk to Professor Dumbledore.' Tai did as she was told. Dumbledore raised his eyebrows.  
  
"What is wrong, Miss Yang?"  
  
"Th-" she swallowed. "The sorting hat says that I'm not a-a witch." Dumbledores' friendly face creased into a frown.  
  
"Is that true?" He addressed Tai but thankfully the sorting hat answered.  
  
"She has magic powers professor but they aren't normal." Dumbledore chewed his lip.  
  
"Interesting." Tai wondered what he meant by that. "Well, you'll have to sit down and have some dinner. Just sit at the Ravenclaw table for now. We'll talk about this later." Tai nodded. She was on the verge of tears. She turned numbly and walked to the Ravenclaw table. The Ravenclaws seemed unsure whether to clap or not but someone started clapping and the rest of them followed. By the time she had reached the table they were cheering. At least they thought she was a Ravenclaw. She sat down next to a boy she thought must have been in 5th year too and a smaller girl in 2nd or 3rd year.  
  
"Hi." They said together and the small girl giggled. Tai stared at the table, trying desperately to control her tears.  
  
"Hi." She said softly. Tai wished she were alone so she could cry. But she also wished that someone here would ask her what was wrong so she could share her troubles.  
  
"My name's Elsie." Said the small girl cheerfully. "What's yours?"  
  
"I'm Tai." Tai continued staring at the table, knowing that if she looked up the tears would start falling.  
  
"That's a pretty name. Is it Japanese or something?"  
  
"It's Mandarin Chinese. My full name's Tai Yang. It means The Sun." Tai wished this girl would stop asking her questions. She was having trouble keeping her voice level. The girl turned back to the sorting ceremony. Tai kept staring at the table. Suddenly, there was an enormous cheer from everyone as the last of the first years were sorted. Dumbledore made a small speech and the food appeared on the plates.  
  
The feast seemed to go on forever. All Tai wanted was to find a private place so she could cry and hit things. She averted Rosie's questions by giving her one-word answers and the girl eventually got the point.  
  
Finally the feast finished and the students were instructed to follow their house prefects. Even with her troubles Tai managed to notice the awe- inspiring mazes in this castle. She stared wide-eyed at the moving staircases and strange passageways. Eventually they came to a halt at the statue of a gargoyle with enormous wings.  
  
"The new password is 'Filibuster'." The girl who had been leading them said. At the mention of the password the gargoyle opened its mouth wider and wider until it became a doorway. Tai followed everyone into the common room. It was decorated with blue banners with eagles printed on them. Tai met the girls she was sharing her dorm with and they led her upstairs.  
  
"That's your bed." Said the small, mousy girl named Kayla. Everyone got changed and slipped into bed. The sound of soft snores filled the room quickly. But Tai couldn't sleep. She kept thinking about the sorting hat saying she wasn't a witch. Was she going to be kicked out of the school? Would they send her back to the orphanages? Or worse still they might lock her up, saying her magic was dangerous because it was different. Or maybe… maybe they'd do experiments on her. Now her imagination was running away with her and she knew it. She couldn't stand it any longer. She needed to do something to keep her mind off it.  
  
Tai crept silently down the stairs and into the common room. She sat in a comfortable chair in front of the fire and opened her herbology textbook.  
  
'The properties and uses of magical plants. 1. The Eribow. The Eribow is found in the tropical regions of Transylvania. It is commonly used as…'  
  
Tai shut the book with a snap. She was reading the words but her mind was elsewhere. She still couldn't stop thinking about what the sorting hat had said. Finally she let the tears run down her face. She sobbed into a pillow, trying to drown out the noise. The fire was burning one side of her face but she ignored it. Suddenly the heat was shielded and a comforting arm snaked round her shoulders. Tai couldn't see who was there and she didn't care. She leaned into them. Finally, her tears dried up and she looked up at whoever had been comforting her. She was surprised to see it was a boy. She blushed and looked at her hands.  
  
"Um… are you ok?" He asked.  
  
"Yes. I just, um…" She could tell him what happened couldn't she? She looked up at him again and realised it was the boy who had been sitting next to her at the feast. He shifted uncomfortably.  
  
"What wrong?" he asked gently. She sniffled and made a decision to tell him.  
  
"When I put on the sorting hat, it told me that I wasn't a witch." The boy frowned in confusion but didn't interrupt. "It said I had magic but it wasn't normal magic and that he'd never encountered it before."  
  
"I don't understand. That's not so terrible." He said in confusion.  
  
"But won't they kick me out of Hogwarts or something?" the boy chuckled.  
  
"I doubt it. Its not your fault you have different magic."  
  
"But people wouldn't accept it that easily. People are afraid of things that are different."  
  
"Some people are, yes. But I'm pretty sure Dumbledore will accept it. He's pretty eccentric anyway." He shrugged.  
  
"Really?" Tai aloud herself to hope. She sighed. "I never understand people. I always take things the wrong way. And no one understands me either. I guess I'm not a people person." She laughed weakly and wiped her eyes. "I guess I'd better go to bed now. Um, thanks for… you know. I feel a lot better now."  
  
"I'll go get that glass of water I was getting fifteen minutes ago." Tai smiled.  
  
"My names Tai."  
  
"I'm Brian. G'night." Tai yawned and suddenly realised how tired she was.  
  
"Mmmm." She said sleepily and wandered off to bed. 


	3. Chapter 3

1.1.1 Chapter 3  
  
Tai woke early and so did the sun. Sunlight drifted in through the window. It was cheery and reflective. It mirrored her mood. Tai was lying in bed, thinking about the boy who had comforted her last night. There was something about him. She wasn't attracted to him but she felt an affinity to him. It was as if she had known him a long time but had never met him. Tai shook her head. That wasn't possible. She knew that. But the feeling remained.  
  
She turned her thoughts to the sorting hat and although she still felt a bit of anxiety about what it had said she felt ready to accept her different kind of magic now.  
  
Tai finally forced herself to get up. She'd never get back to sleep now and the sun had warmed the room. She quietly dressed and tiptoed downstairs. She wasn't surprised when she found the common room empty. She sat in an armchair, turned it around so she faced the sun. She closed her eyes and felt herself warm.  
  
Tai's head jerked up suddenly. She had been dozing but she had heard something. A whisper. There it was again. She strained her ears and this time she did notice the magic as her hearing suddenly became sharper.  
  
'Is it her?'  
  
'Is she worthy?'  
  
'It can't be her.'  
  
'It must be.'  
  
The voices were sly and cruel. Tai didn't know what to make of them. But she knew she didn't trust them.  
  
'The library!' One whispered and this time the whisper was directed at her. She could tell.  
  
'The library!' Others whispered.  
  
'To the library!' 'Library!' 'Go!' 'The library!'  
  
Tai abruptly stood up and looked around. The voices stopped. No one was there. She knew the voices weren't human and she would have sensed if someone were playing a trick on her. She would ask someone when they woke up what these strange, disembodied voices were.  
  
'The library.' A solitary voice whispered. Challenging.  
  
Unnerved, Tai ran lightly up the stairs, the strange voices drifting up from the common room to reach her ears.  
  
* * *  
  
Tai sat nervously at the breakfast table. The voices followed her constantly. She new she looked pasty and shaken but they kept whispering in her ear and she was afraid. She had considered telling Kayla or someone else in her dorm about the whispering creatures but something had held her back. She would see Dumbledore after breakfast, he had told her as much and then she would speak to him about it. He would probably laugh and say it was just some strange being that haunted the castle. She hoped he would.  
  
Tai pulled tiny pieces off her toast and forced herself to swallow them but every time she did he stomach turned and knotted.  
  
"Tai Yang will you come and talk to me in my office?" a friendly voice said from behind her chair. She turned and looked into Dumbledores' twinkling eyes.  
  
'Tai Yang!' 'Her name is Tai Yang!' 'Tai Yang, the Sun!' The voices hissed madly but Dumbledore didn't hear them and looked at Tai expectantly. She rose to her feet and Dumbledore gracefully glided towards the door of the hall. Tai followed silently and obediently and the creatures whispered.  
  
Tai followed him through the maze of corridors, moving staircases and hidden passageway and the creatures whispered.  
  
Tai watched as Dumbledore stopped by a statue and mumbled a password. She followed Dumbledore through the door hidden behind it and up the moving staircase and the creatures whispered.  
  
Tai followed Dumbledore into his office and the creatures followed Tai and whispered.  
  
Tai sat in the chair Dumbledore indicated and the creatures whispered.  
  
Dumbledore spoke. "Tai I realise that you have a different kind of magic to that of other people but I think it best if you stay at hog…" His voice was drowned out by the deafening roar of whispers that reached Tai's ears and crawled inside them and filled them with their horrid sound and they whispered one word.  
  
'Library!' They whispered in a chaotic, disquieting chord that sent sharp needles of pain into her head. Suddenly, she could no longer bear it. She whipped around.  
  
"SILENCE!!!" And power lashed across her tongue and as her voice reached their ears so too did her magic. The shrieks of the whispering creatures echoed in the room and their shrieks even reached Dumbledores ears.  
  
'She fights!' They cried. 'She burns!' 'She rages!'  
  
The creatures sounded triumphant and that scared Tai more than the whispers. She trembled and turned to face Dumbledore. She knew her face reflected complete shock. She was not only shocked at what she could do but also how badly she could lose control of herself with just a little taunting. She expected Dumbledores face to be harsh and condemning but instead he just looked politely surprised.  
  
"Goodness!" he said softly. "I have not been surprised by anything in quite some time but that was very much a shock." Tai looked at her hands, folded in her lap. The silence deepened. "What were they?" Dumbledore asked finally. Tai looked up. He didn't know?  
  
"I-I don't know. I thought you would." She said, her voice shaky. Dumbledore shook his head.  
  
"I've seen nothing of the sort before." He frowned at her. "I can see your magic is very potent though and it really does need training quite desperately." Tai blushed. "We were going to put you in the with the first years but I don't know if that is wise. You would probably find it quite uncomfortable being so much older and your magic could be quite unpredictable. I will get the teachers to tutor you in their free periods and you can research in the library when there are no free teachers." Tai didn't really like the idea of going to the library because of the whispering creatures but she held her tongue. She would have to go there sooner or later anyway. "Your first lesson will be charms with Professor flitwik. I will take you to your classroom as you don't know the way and I'll arrange a timetable for…" A knock at the door interrupted him. "Come in." Dumbledore called. Brian walked in and flashed a smile at Tai. Tai tried to smile back but was largely unsuccessful. Brian exchanged a few quick words with Dumbledore and Brian turned to go.  
  
"Brian could I ask you a favour? Could you take Miss Yang to the charms classroom?" Brian nodded and Tai was relieved that Dumbledore wouldn't be taking her. She followed Brian out the door and mumbled goodbye to Dumbledore.  
  
Once the statue had sprung back into the doorway Brian turned to Tai.  
  
"Well what did he say?" Tai looked at him. He was full of confidence that he was right and that all had gone well. Well he was half right. She hadn't been expelled. She told him what had happened. About the disembodied voices and how they beckoned her to the library. How she'd lashed out at them with her magic in front of Dumbledore and Dumbledores' or her private tutoring. Brian just stared at her in shock. She tugged at his arm to get him moving as they were still outside Dumbledores office. Brian followed numbly.  
  
"Well." He finally managed to say. "I guess you found out some of the stuff you can do with your magic. And private tutoring sounds like a good idea."  
  
"Thanks. That's very comforting," she said sarcastically. "I wonder if I can do stuff with my wand. I mean it worked when I got it at Ollivanders but…" She shrugged.  
  
"I guess this is the moment of truth then. Can you really use a wand?" He said mockingly. Tai just looked at him, face expressionless and then slipped through the door. That hadn't been the reaction he'd been looking for. Or one that he'd been expecting.  
  
* * *  
  
Professor had given Tai a charm to practice and shown her the arm movements for using the wand and then he had sat down and started marking some papers. It was obvious he didn't expect results from her this lesson. Tai wondered if she would ever get results with a wand. She would. She was determined. She would make her ten-inch cedar wand with dragon heartstring work magic. She'd show everyone, including herself, what she could do. She'd get that feather to levitate. Tai lifted her wand and flicked it at the feather.  
  
"Wingardium leviosa!" she said smartly. The feather was caught by the gentle breeze, caused by her movement and it floated slowly off the table. Professor Flitwik chuckled at her angry and frustrated face.  
  
"Don't worry. The first charm is always the hardest to cast. No one gets it right on the first try and hardly ever on the second." He turned his attention back on the papers.  
  
Tai fumed. The stupid bloody feather! She'd show Flitwik. She'd get it to levitate this time! She picked the feather off the floor and shoved it onto the table. She closed her eyes and calmed her emotions. She took a deep breath and opened them again. Her eyes were fixed on the feather. A few more calming breaths. Nothing else existed nothing else mattered. Just her and that frustratingly still feather. She lifted and cried determinedly.  
  
"WINGARDIUM LEVIOSA!" the feather sat stubbornly still. Now Tai's frustration flared into anger and rage. She pointed at the feather and screamed in a language foreign to this world but, as Flitwik would say later, was eerily beautiful. The earth gave an angry lurch, the castle groaned and the room screeched. An angry hole ripped open in the fabric of time and space. I was black and empty and very, very hungry. But it was hungry for only one thing. The feather spun dizzyingly towards it and was swallowed in an instant and in that instant the black hole was gone.  
  
  
  
In the middle of the pacific a million feathers, all exactly the same fell from the sky and covered the water in a white, soft down.  
  
  
  
Professor Flitwik stared at Tai in disbelief. Tai looked at her feet. She would definitely be expelled now.  
  
"I-I'll go now." And she dashed out the door.  
  
* * *  
  
Stupid! Stupid stupid stupid! How could she be so damn stupid?! The sky darkened outside as the clouds blocked out the sun. Tai lay, spreadeagled, on her bed, her face in the pillow. How could she let her emotions run away with her like that? A strand of fiery red hair fell in her eyes and she pushed it away angrily and turned over onto her back. What she ha done had not only been stupid, it had been bloody dangerous! She could have killed everyone in the school with the black hole she'd created! Stupid stupid!  
  
There was a knock at the door.  
  
"Go away!" She shouted but Gemma entered anyway. She was one of Tai's roommates. "I said go away." Tai mumbled weakly. Gemma sat on her bed.  
  
"Are you ok?" Tai looked at her.  
  
"No." She replied bluntly. "I nearly killed everyone. That doesn't make me feel too good."  
  
"Did you know there's been reports of millions of feathers covering the Pacific Ocean?" Gemma tried to sound amused.  
  
"Oh no." Tai groaned.  
  
"Don't worry. The ministry of magic will clear it up but it's probably the biggest operation they've ever done for clearing up an accident by a school kid." She chuckled. "Don't worry they won't kick you out. Dumbledore knows that it wouldn't be smart to expel you. But the ministry might not think so." She frowned and then shrugged. "Don't worry. I'm sure it'll be ok."  
  
"But, like I said, I nearly killed everyone. I could have lost control of the wormhole and it could have sucked the whole school in. I'm dangerous to everyone around me." Tai put her head in her hands. Gemma patted her back awkwardly.  
  
"Look, I know it sounds like your at a dead end but Dumbledore will help you. I know he will." She got up and walked out the door. Tai sighed. All this school had been for her was trouble. She'd never been such a mess. She'd never cried so many times in two days.  
  
The bell went for the end of lunch. Another knock came at the door.  
  
"It's Brian." He called through the door. "I've got to take you to your next period." Tai got off her bed and opened the door.  
  
"What do you mean next period?"  
  
"I mean you've got Snape right now."  
  
"Really?" At least they weren't intending to kick her out just yet.  
  
"I wouldn't sound so excited if I were you. Snape isn't too nice and you'll have his undivided attention 'cause there's no one else in your class."  
  
"He can't be too bad." Brian just smiled knowingly and led her out the door.  
  
When they reached the dungeons Brian told her it was nice knowing her and left. Tai rolled her eyes at him and walked through the door. 


	4. Chapter 4

I am soooo sorry this chapter was so late in coming (not to mention short) but I've been heaps busy lately and haven't had much of a chance to write. My Internet connection has also been playing up a bit lately so I couldn't get into this site.  
  
And before I write this chapter I would like to add a little way too late disclaimer. I don't own anything to do with Harry Potter or Hogwarts or anything. That belongs to J.K Rowling. A few of my characters were invented by me. Also use of elvish languages invented by J.R.R Tolkien is in here too. They don't belong to me. Also later on I will be using Faeries (by Alan Lee and Brian Froud. Heaps good book) as a reference and a few Internet sites. This is just advanced notice in case I forget to mention it.  
  
1.1.1  
  
1.1.2 Chapter 4  
  
…Tuure watched Taiyang. Her power was potent. He hungered for it and his hunger grew. His Morne Lusses had not succeeded so he had to try a different tact. This one involved patience. His black eyes blazed in anger and frustration as he watched Taiyang walk through a door to meet another of them…  
  
As soon as Tai walked through the door to the potions dungeon she felt it. It was a strange presence. I felt of rage, hatred and self-loathing. It smelt foul and unfulfilled. The potions master glided through a door at the front of the classroom and the feeling increased. The stench was foul and almost unbearable.  
  
"Well? Are you just going to stand there?" The caustic remark snapped her back to attention. She trotted down to where he stood. "Today, I will start you on the simplest of potions as you no doubt have no skills in the precise art of potions making." Usually Tai would react to a remark like that but the presence was surrounding this man. It was growing on his every word. It lurked about his shoulders. It breathed in his snide remarks and billowed at every cruel looked he flashed at her. She suddenly realised it was feeding off him, perhaps even encouraging his feelings. Suddenly, Tai could see it. It loomed like a huge dark shadow. Professor Snape was talking to her harshly but she couldn't hear him. Her attention was riveted on the shadow. Her violet eyes flashed with fear. Suddenly, the shadow reached for her. It stretched a huge, dark, clawed hand toward her heart. Without thinking, Tai grabbed Snapes' wrist, pushed up his sleeve and covered the dark mark on his arm with a hand. The shadow screeched madly and Tai fell into unconsciousness.  
  
In a dark backward part of the world a man, dark with power felt the link with one of his Death-Eaters snap. This one was a betrayer. His red eyes flashed. Snape was no longer needed in this world. It was time to send him to the next. And, with the decision made, he called to his Death-Eaters.  
  
…Tai opened her eyes to a dark room. Lit only by a single lamp. The dancing flames caused demonic forms to leap into life in the corner of the room and then fade suddenly into darkness. Tai felt another in the room. It was in a dark corner and she was unable to see it. She stared into the darkness.  
  
'I can taste your power Taiyang.' The voice snaked through the space between them and sent a shiver of premonition down her spine. 'Your power draws you to me. You cannot resist it. You are guided to me by fate. I will have you.' His words chilled Tai to the bone. She heard a rustle of cloaks and her heart leaped into her throat. She was afraid to see the mans' face (if it was a man) and it glued her to the floor in her fright. He stepped into the flickering light and Tai saw that he was wearing a hooded cloak that covered him from head to toe and left not one inch of skin exposed. Tai was slightly relieved. She wasn't too curious about what lay beneath the cloak. 'I will be waiting for you Tai. But you are no use to me like this.' He reached out a gloved hand and touched her gently, almost caressingly on the cheek. Tai fell into blackness…  
  
* * *  
  
Tai woke to a throbbing headache. She groaned and put a hand to her head. She heard feet shuffle quietly over to where she was lying. She opened swollen eyes and looked into the face of the school nurse, Madame Pomfrey.  
  
"Mmmm." She said thoughtfully. "Does your head hurt?"  
  
"Yes." Tai managed to mumble.  
  
"Ah. I suspected you had a bit of concussion. You've been unconscious for two days." Tai groaned again. Two days? She struggled to remember what had put her in this state. Suddenly she remembered the dark shadow looming over Professor Snape and then horrifyingly the cloaked man in the dark chamber. Then she relaxed. That had been a dream. Or was it. She remembered the cold, dampness of the room. You didn't feel in dreams. She took a shuddering breath. It had to have been a dream. It wasn't possible for it not to have been. Madame Pomfrey continued talking. "Professor Snape told me what had happened in the dungeon. He wanted to question you about what happened but I won't have him endangering one of my patients health for his own curiosity." She said the last part rather huffily as if she usually didn't get her way.  
  
'I'd like to ask him a few questions myself' thought Tai darkly. Madame Pomfrey gave her some much needed soup and water, then Tai lay back on the sheets and fell into a comfortable slumber.  
  
  
  
"It is in the girls best interests too Madame Pomfrey. I need to see her now. I'm sure Dumbledore would agree in this situation." Professor Snape was berating the nurse again.  
  
"She is resting now." Madame Pomfrey said firmly. "I will not have my patients disturbed by you Professor. I'm sure this can wait. She needs her rest." Snapes patience was too far stretched now. He had already waited two days. He wasn't going to wait a moment longer. He pushes past the nurse and into the infirmary. He walked along the beds until he found her. Tai was sipping a rather foul tasting liquid that Madame Pomfrey had told her to drink when she woke up. Madame Pomfrey caught up with Snape.  
  
"Professor! Tai needs to have her rest. I will not have you questioning her when she is sick! She needs time to recover." She was going red in the face. Tai, who was feeling a little dazed thought she resembled a beetroot. She giggled, and the others both looked at her.  
  
"Uh… sorry. I just woke up." It was a pretty lame excuse. Snape scowled at her distastefully.  
  
"See? She's still a little dazed. She did have concussion you know."  
  
"No she didn't." Snape sneered. "That is why I'm here. She did not have concussion and yet she has a headache and the after-effects of concussion. I was there. I know." Madame Pomfrey looked a little shocked. "Now I need to talk to Miss Yang, thankyou. I promise I won't attempt anything that may harm her."  
  
"Very well. You may have five minutes and that is all!" She turned and stalked away. Snape glared at her back for a minute then turned his attention to Tai.  
  
"I'm going to ask you a few questions referring to the events in my classroom." Tai nodded, not sure she could answer all his questions. "Why did you grab my arm where…" He swallowed. "Why did you grab my arm?" Tai knew he would ask this.  
  
"I don't know." She said entirely truthfully. Snape looked at her suspiciously but said nothing.  
  
"Why were you acting strangely? Like you were afraid?"  
  
"I-I… I felt something when I came in." she stalled. Snape said nothing but his glare told her to go on. "It was this sort of presence. It just felt like hate." She conveniently missed some of the other emotions in case Snape recognised them as his own and jumped to conclusions. "Then after you started talking to me I saw it. It was like a huge shadow and… and it reached for me and I panicked and I grabbed your arm and then I blacked out." Listening to herself say the words she thought her story sounded pretty pathetic. He'd probably think she was a psychopath or something. Seeing weird shadows that no one else could see was a bad sign and she wondered suddenly if she were delusional. Then she remembered the dream and gave an involuntary shudder. She couldn't have been delusional. The more she thought about the dream the more real it seemed. She remembered the creatures' words. '…I can taste your power Tiayang. Your power draws you to me. You cannot resist it. You are guided to me by fate. I will have you…' The words reverberated in her mind and she shivered.  
  
Snape bought her down to earth as her sat fluidly into a chair by her bed. He looked deep in thought. He looked up at her.  
  
"How did you make the dark mark on my arm disappear?" His voice was emotionless. It lacked any sarcasm or malice.  
  
"What?" Tai was confused. His dark mark disappeared? She thought the dark mark was permanent. That it couldn't be removed by any means. Besides it had been totally unintentional. Or was it. It had been her intention to destroy the shadow hadn't it? Well what if the shadow was the dark mark? And that was why people couldn't remove it. Because the spell wasn't the dark mark, it was the shadow and the reason she had grabbed the dark mark was to destroy the shadow. Snape was watching her suspiciously. She quickly explained to him her hypothesis. Snape continued his cold glare the whole time talked. It made her nervous and fidgety. She felt like a little five year old. After she'd finished talking Snape sat silently. Tai bit her lip, hoping he wouldn't tell her she was stupid and her theory was totally invalid. But when he did speak it was only a tight thankyou before he rose stiffly and stalked away. Tai watched the door he'd left through. Although the shadow that had hung over him previously had gone he still exuded an aura of power and Tai could sense his emotions even though they were locked up under his scowl. Although he seemed to harbour a lot of hatred and resentment, his overriding emotion was confusion. Tai shook her head and turned her thoughts to schoolwork she'd have to catch up on. 


	5. Chapter 5

1.1.1 This is a pretty short chapter. Like chapter 4. It'll get soooooo much more exciting in the next chapter. This ones ok but a little flat.  
  
1.1.2  
  
1.1.3 Chapter 5  
  
Tai and Brian sat in the library at lunchtime doing schoolwork. Tai had gotten over her foreboding feeling about the library a few weeks ago. Her curiosity about the books was too much to keep her away.  
  
Tai was doing pretty average in school. She had a bit of trouble with charms still but she managed to do a few simple spells and only occasionally had slip-ups (Like when she was trying a flame charm to light a fire she got a little frustrated with it and chucked away her wand and set her desk on fire using her quill as a wand instead). Transfiguration was also a little difficult. The objects always turned out as very strange looking creatures or a ball of flame. Occasionally she came up with a warped version of what she was trying to create but they seemed to like sprouting limbs and running away. Fortunately though, because she didn't have to listen to Professor Binns but got to read about History in the Library she was now up to second year level.  
  
Tai was doing her charms homework. It was to research a particular charm that she was having a little trouble with. She yawned loudly and laid her head on the book. She knew exactly what the charm was supposed to do. She just couldn't do it. She turned her head on the side and a small book supporting a large bookshelf, where one of the legs had broken off, caught her eye. Because she was absolutely bored (and Brian had an assignment for Snape that was due next period that he hadn't finished so she couldn't disturb him) she decided to have a look at it.  
  
"Accio." She said softly and then added "Repairo" before the whole bookshelf came tumbling down. She caught the book in her hands. It had strange runes on it that she'd never seen before, yet they seemed familiar. 'They must be one of those strange languages of magical creatures.' She thought. She let the book fall open and looked at the runes. She stared at them a moment, trying to work them out and then suddenly she could understand what they said. "Brian." She was barely audible but her tone was so intense he looked up.  
  
"What?" He frowned worryingly.  
  
"Look at this book." She handed it over to him. He shuddered and paled as soon as he'd touched it. "What's wrong?" Tai asked urgently.  
  
"I don't know. It just feels… wrong. What was so amazing about it?"  
  
"Look at the letters. Stare at them for a moment and then you can understand them." Brian squinted.  
  
"I can't see anything. Here." He handed her the book. "I don't like it. It feels weird." Tai accepted it and felt it hum happily under her fingers. "What does it say?" Brian asked.  
  
"It says; Open oh Elf-gate and carry this one into the world that the Faerie Folke created. Faerieland!" She looked up.  
  
"Sounds like a load of rubbish to me. There's no such thing as faeries."  
  
"How would you know? If all the faeries live in Faerieland then no one would see them anyway."  
  
"Well the spell didn't work did it. If it had maybe I would believe you."  
  
"I bet I'm right. I only said the spell in English. What if it only works in the faerie language?"  
  
"Maybe if you could speak it. But you can't. End of story." He turned back to his assignment. Tai fumed. She'd prove to him it could be done.  
  
"I could read it couldn't I? What makes you think I can't say it?" Brian looked up in alarm.  
  
"Don't Tai! If it does work then you, or both of us, could be sucked into Faerieland or something like that." Tai smiled mischievously. "Tai, I'm serious! Don't!"  
  
"Oh come on. It'll be fun. Besides, you don't believe in Faeries. They aren't real so the spell won't work. You have nothing to worry about." She smiled innocently and looked back at the book.  
  
"Panta a Elda-Ando,  
  
Ar kold si mine,  
  
Mir i palurin,  
  
Ta i Sidhe Hos ontane.  
  
Sidhenoore!"  
  
Nothing happened. Tai's face fell and Brian relaxed.  
  
"If you ever scare me that much again I'll kill you!" said Brian. Tai looked at him with a foul look but the effort was wasted. He was rubbing his eyes warily. Tai sighed. She really wished faeries were real. She stared at the book. It hummed insistently. It was almost like it was telling her to read the spell again. It was forcing her mouth to form the words. She resisted a second but gave in.  
  
  
  
"Panta a Elda-Ando,"  
  
…her voice was intense and filled with an alien power….  
  
"Ar kold si mine,"  
  
…A breeze that came from nowhere, whipped lightly at her auburn hair…  
  
"Mir i palurin,"  
  
…Excited whispers filled the room…  
  
"Ta i Sidhe Hos ontane."  
  
…The whispers turned to a roar and the wind was now gale force…  
  
"Sidhenoore!"  
  
  
  
Silence. Tai looked around, confused. Then suddenly, she heard a quiet but wild music filtered into the room. It grew louder and more erratic until it reached an unbearable intensity. Filling her ears with a deafening melody. Brian and all the other students in the library, except Tai, covered their ears, trying to block out the sound. Windows rattled dangerously, on the verge of shattering. Books fell out of shelves and the whole room shuddered violently. Suddenly, a huge explosion threw people, still standing to the ground, knocked them off chairs or into bookshelves and caused a few bookshelves to teeter dangerously. Tai looked up from where she was lying. The whole room was a wreck but she didn't notice. She only saw the strange blue light in the middle of the room. It beckoned to her and she rose to her feet, still clutching the book, to walk over to it. Every step she took caused the light to grow larger and stronger and resolve itself into a shape. When she'd reached it, it had formed into the shape of a door. She reached for the handle but hesitated. Should she open it? It could be dangerous. She might never be able to back. It might not even lead to Faerieland but some place else. It could go anywhere! She pushed all those thoughts to the back of her mind. The door called to her too strongly for her to just walk away. She clasped the handle. She was going through it. That was final.  
  
"What are you doing?" The icy voice sent shivers down her spine. She turned to face Professor Snape. She tried desperately to think of an excuse. But what sort of excuse could you think up for this?  
  
"I-I…"  
  
"You what, Miss Yang? I would really like to know just what you are doing." Tai fidgeted nervously. She was only too aware of the gate behind her. It was calling to her. Telling her to step through it. She desperately wanted to do as it asked. She looked around the room and saw Brian, Gemma and a few other people she didn't know, standing around the room looking shocked and dazed. She looked back at Snape. He was waiting for her to answer. "What is that door behind you?" he asked when she still hadn't spoken.  
  
"The spell said it led to Faerieland." When Tai heard herself say it she new she was going to be expelled. This was worse than her black hole episode. This time it had been purposeful. She looked expectantly at Snape. He was staring at her but was obviously immersed in his own thoughts. The silence intensified. Tai desperately wanted, needed, to throw herself through the gate behind her. She unconsciously edged closer to it. Snape came out of his reverie and opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by Gemma.  
  
"Death-Eaters!" she cried. Snape spun around to face five of them. There was no choice. He worked it out quickly in his mind.  
  
"Through the portal!" He screamed at them. Tai swung open the door and let Brian, Gemma and Snape through. The next girl hesitated and was his by a spell. Her mouth hung open in a silent scream as she fell to her knees. Tai realised, terribly, that this was Elsie, the second year girl from the feast. She panicked and flung herself through the gate, leaving the others in the library to decide their own fate.  
  
Voldemort screamed in frustration. The potion he had created to entrap Snape had taken 3 weeks to brew but all that had resulted in his hard work and patience had been mindless slaughter but Snape hadn't been one of the dead. Any one of those children could have become loyal subjects. He should have gone after Snape himself. His hapless Death-Eaters hadn't had the gall to pass through the strange blue portal. They would pay for that later. He had to think of a way to find Snape. Even create his own portal. Snape would pay for his evasion.  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
I'm sorry I had to stop it there. So you'll have to tune in next week. Can I plz have some reviews? I'm dying here! I only have three! Chapter 6 is gonna take a little longer because it's going to be longer but it'll be worth it. Believe me. The next part will be exciting. Well I think it will be anyway. I've only half thought up what's gonna happen next. The school hols are coming up tho so I should be able to do write more often.  
  
P.S pleeaaasse review! 


	6. Chapter 6 (such an original name)

1.1.1 Sorry I took so long. I have no excuses. I am just lazy. Well chapter six if *finally* here. It takes a kinda weird turn but hey, I like faeries.  
  
* * *  
  
1.1.2  
  
1.1.3 Chapter 6  
  
Tanya picked her way along the track. Instinctively avoiding twigs and dry leaves. She fitted an arrow to her bow and clicked it silently into the notch. The deer grazed in the clearing, its dappled coat camouflaging it to all but the sharpest eyes. It looked up at a slight sound. It's eyes widening in fear, about to leap away. It stood for a frightful moment, listening so intently that it would hear if Tanya attempted to draw her bow. After a tense minute the deer returned to its grazing. Tanya moved to a better position and drew her bow as quietly as she could. Just as she was about to loose the arrow a twig snapped and the deer fled. Tanya cursed violently and started looking for the cursed creature who had made the noise. She trotted off to the left where the sound had come from and ran headlong into a tall, black clad man. She stumbled backwards before regaining her balance. She looked down at the ground in embarrassment for a second and then remembering her status she looked up at his face.  
  
"Watch where you're going. You ruined my hunt. The deer was frightened away by all your noises." The man didn't fall into submission as she had expected but instead stared at her through icy eyes.  
  
"I think it was you who ran into me girl and how was I to know you were hunting?" He pushed past her to continue on his way.  
  
"How dare you! You should offer to share your food and fire for ruining my hunt. This is not how you treat your betters!" The man whirled menacingly at her last remark.  
  
"You are not my better, girl! If I had food or a fire or even water then even then I might not share them with you but as it is I have neither anyway and I am in dire need of doctor." He gave her one last hateful look and turned to walk away.  
  
"Wait!" Tanya may have been offended and developed a dislike for this man but she was not so uncompassionate as to leave him wandering without any means of survival. "You may share my fire since you have nothing and I can direct you to where ever it is you wish to go as you are obviously lost." The darkly robed man turned back to her.  
  
"Do you know where a doctor is?" His voice lacked the bite it had had previously.  
  
"What's a doctor?" The man stared at her incredulously.  
  
  
  
Tai slowly opened her eyes to find herself in a clearing. She sat up, feeling quite awake. She could remember foggily how she had got here through the elf-gate but she felt no emotions over it. The fact that all those students in the library could have been slaughtered didn't worry her in the slightest. Even the memory of Elsie's death didn't evoke a reaction from her. She wondered over it for a while and then dismissed those thoughts from her mind.  
  
Tai stood and looked around. She was in a tangled wood. Tall oaks and beaches towered above her and the sunlight fell in dappled pools of light on the dead leaves covering the ground. She looked around for Brian, Gemma and Snape or anyone else who had made it through the gate. There was no one around. She started walking down a track when there was a shout behind her. She whirled around but there was no one there. She shrugged and decided she must have imagined it. She started down the path again and again some one shouted. She whirled around. This time she heard muffled giggles in a nearby bush. She walked over to it and pushed aside the branches. Three tiny figures stared up at her in surprise. One of them got over its shock and leapt into the air to hover in front of Tai's face on fragile wings. Tai stared at the beautiful creature in shock.  
  
"I am in Faerieland." She whispered to herself.  
  
"The correct term is Sidhenoore," the tiny faerie squeaked "and where else could you be? The land of mortals?" She laughed in a shill but beautiful voice. Tai didn't care to tell this creature that that was where she was from. She shook off her shock and thought to use this opportunity.  
  
"Have you seen a man walk by? He's wearing a black cloak and he has black hair." Tai couldn't think of anything else particularly defining about Snape bar his icy eyes. "And there is also a boy about my height with dark- brown hair and a girl with long light-brown hair."  
  
"What payment would we get for these services you ask of us?" Another faerie squeaked.  
  
"I'm asking for directions, not a service." These faeries were incredible! Would they give nothing away for mere niceness?  
  
"Alright." Said the first faerie, resignedly. "We will grant you this favour. But only because we are very nice." The third faerie flew up to talk to Tai.  
  
"We did not see the boy or the girl but the tall man went that way." She pointed down the path Tai was going to take anyway before the faeries had distracted her. She sighed and thanked them politely.  
  
"I wouldn't trust them if I were you." Said a voice behind Tai. Tai whirled around to see who had spoken. A woman lurked in the shadow of a beach smiling secretly at Tai. The faeries turned from their beautiful forms to ugly and deformed creatures that made Tai recoil in disgust.  
  
"You iss liaring Queine! We iss not tricksy faeriesss! We iss good. We iss kind. We iss giving the fire haired girl directionss!" They flitted about angrily. The woman chuckled evilly and snatched on one out of the air, holding its wings between her fingers. The faerie kicked and flailed futilely.  
  
"You should know better that to call me a liar." She said, her voice low and dangerous. The faerie snarl and bit at the air. The woman moved from under the trees but the sunlight didn't touch her face. Instead the blue- darkness seemed to cling to her. Tai's neck prickled apprehensively. She was of a mind to flee but she sensed that that was not a good idea. The dark woman lifted the faerie to eyelevel and blew on it. An icy wind picked up the creature and flung it through the woods. The others were quick to follow. The woman's face twisted into an evil smile and she watched them flee for a moment before she turned back to Tai. She attempted a kind smile but cruel intent lurked in her eyes. "I do not know where your companion is but I can offer you food and shelter in my domain." Tai stumbled backward a step.  
  
"No. No I am fine. I have to find my friends." She walked backwards a few more steps.  
  
"Surely you would not refuse hospitality from a queine?" she said sweetly. "What is your name sweet girl?" Tai was unwilling to give away her name.  
  
"What is yours?" She couldn't think of a reason not to answer this woman so she decided to delay her.  
  
"You obviously are not well educated if you know not who I am. I am known by many names. I am Nicnivin, Aelf Queine of the Unseelie. I am Queen of the Dark. I am Berchta and I am Queen of the Estantigua. But most call me Morwen, Daughter of the Dark. Now answer my question. What is your name?" She fixed her dark blue eyes with Tai's.  
  
"I won't tell you." Morwens' eyes flashed in anger. She stepped closer.  
  
"Girl, you would not do well to be unfriendly to me." She lowered until she was almost in a crouch, as if she were about to spring. "Tell me your name." She growled.  
  
"No." Tai said in a voice much stronger than she felt. Morwen snarled and lunged. Tai ducked and swung out a leg to trip her. Morwen avoided it agilely and twisted around in the air.  
  
"You are lucky, girl, that it is daytime." She hissed. "If you had met me in the darkness of night then this would probably be your end." She moved into the shadows and was gone. Tai breathed a shaky sigh of relief, wondering why Morwen had disappeared instead of killing her or something. Perhaps the light made her weak. Tai sat on a fallen log. She looked around, unsure of what to do or where to go. Then buried her face in her hands in resignation. Where were the others? They could be on the other side of this world for all she new. What had she gotten herself into? Why had she even created the Elf-gate? She supposed it had saved her and a few other peoples lives but from what she'd encountered in this forest she wondered if she'd just prolonged their lives. Were the others even alive? Was she the only one who had made it to this side of the gate? Those faeries had said they'd seen Snape but they could have been lying. Tears trickled down her face. She had wanted to come here so much and now that she was here all she wanted was to go home.  
  
"Excusing me miss?" Tai's head shot up and she scrambled backwards along the log. A lean, slightly green tinged creature, who looked not unlike the descriptions of pixies she had heard was standing on the end of the log, bowing his head.  
  
"Leave me alone." She said miserably.  
  
"Oh, I is sorry miss but I cannot. I is under orders to help you." He looked at Tai expectantly.  
  
"Orders from who?" she asked suspiciously.  
  
"Orders from the Pisky King." He said importantly.  
  
"Are you a pixie?"  
  
"No, miss. Is no such thing as a pixie. I is a pisky. I is here to help you. My name is Ell. What would you like helping of?" He smiled loyally at her.  
  
"Well, I really need to find my friends. I don't know if they got through the gate or not. They might be stuck." They might even be dead. She didn't let herself believe her last thought. She could hope a little couldn't she? The pisky nodded.  
  
"What do they looks like?" Tai described them and Ell leaped off the log and beckoned her. "Hold hand." He stretched out an overlarge hand with long spindly fingers. Tai nearly took it but withdrew before she touched him.  
  
"How do I know I can trust you?" She said, suddenly suspicious. Ell looked slightly surprised.  
  
"I have given you my name. You don't know much Sidhe (shee) law does you." Tai shook her head. "You never tell a Sidhe Folke your name or you is under its spell and a Sidhe Folke would never give you its real name unless it was to serve you. And I is to serve you under order from the Pisky King." Tai stared at Ell suspiciously.  
  
"How do I know that you speak the truth or that you have given me your true name?"  
  
"A Sidhe Folke cannot lie. Is not possible. Some are tricksy or deceiving but none is never lying." Tai stared at him a moment longer and Ell stared back innocently. She sighed. There wasn't really a choice. She was lost in the middle of a faerie wood in gods knows where with no food or water or any survival skills. She would have to trust the pisky. Ell, seeing the resolve in her eyes held out his hand again and received Tai's. Expecting him to lead her somewhere Tai's heart jolted when the scenery around her suddenly disappeared and she floated in a cold, black void. She felt cold to the bone and shivered. She tried to grab the piskies hand tighter but realised she couldn't feel her hand or any other part of her body. Then just as suddenly as they had disappeared, they reappeared in a grove. A clear stream flowed to the left, bubbling softly and strange trees with deep honey-coloured branches towered above. Their pear shaped leaves of every shade of green dappled the silver grass growing in a carpet over the forest floor. Tai stood speechless from the beauty of it. Then she spotted a figure lying unconscious in the grass.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
I know this is a kinda crap end to the chapter but if I don't finish it here I'll never finish it. I wrote most of this chapter and then took so long to write the rest of it that I had to read it through so I could remember what happened. 


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